Source Description:(binder) State's Prision: Reports 1873-96
(series) Annual Report of the Board of Directors and of the Superintendent of the State's Prison.
(title) Annual Report of the Board of Directors and of the Superintendent of the State's Prison, for the Year Ending December 31, 1894.
(caption) Annual Report of the North Carolina Penitentiary.
North Carolina Penitentiary
76 p.
Raleigh:
Josephus Daniels, State Printer and Binder. Presses of Edwards & Broughton.
1895.

Call number C365 N87p 1873-96 (North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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OFFICERS.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NORTH CAROLINA PENITENTIARY.

REPORT OF DIRECTORS.

To His Excellency ELIAS CARR, Governor of North Carolina:

In accordance with the law, chapter 283, Acts of 1893, we respectfully submit our annual report of the State's Prison for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1894, showing the condition of the institution by the elaborate report of the able and efficient Superintendent hereto appended.

The Board of Directors have, from time to time, compared the vouchers on file in Treasurer's office with Superintendent's report, and have approved same.

The Board of Directors have made their semi-annual visits to the farms and camps, and find them under good discipline, and the prisoners well clothed and fed, and humanely treated in every particular.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE STATE'S PRISON FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1894.

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT, RALEIGH, N. C., January 1, 1895.

To the Honorable The Board of Directorsof the North Carolina Penitentiary:

Pursuant to Act of the General Assembly, chapter 283, of the Laws of 1893, creating the office of Superintendent of the State's Prison and defining the duties of the same, I have the honor to submit the following report for the year ending December 31, 1894:

GENERAL OPERATIONS.

As indicated in my last annual report, the operations of the Penitentiary have been confined almost entirely to farming. About 80 per cent. of the prison population have been employed throughout the year upon the farms; namely, the Halifax, Northampton and Caledonia farms on the Roanoke River, and upon the Castle Hayne farm in New Hanover County, the force on this last farm being partly employed in mining phosphates.

Small forces have also been engaged upon the works of the Roanoke Rapids Power Company above Weldon, and a small force for a short time upon work at the Rocky Monnt Mills. The remainder of the prisoners, being the life-sentence and some long-term convicts, and an ever-present number of feeble men and women utterly unavailable for any earning, are confined at the central Penitentiary, to the average aggregate of 150. Those here able to work are employed in brickmaking, shopwork, shoemaking, clothesmaking, laundering, gardening.

The farming operations being our main reliance for support, have been prosecuted with vigor and effect, in proportion to the means and forces in hand, and so far as the quantity of crops produced is evidence, they have accomplished good results.

After gathering the crops of 1893, the forces were employed during the winter and early spring months, partly in strengthening and rebuilding the dikes injured or destroyed by the floods of the preceding fall, but mainly in clearing, ditching and reducing to cultivation large areas of forest land, both highland and lowland, the greater part of this work being on Caledonia farm. While the new area reduced to cultivation was not as much as we expected, new lands estimated at 1,600 acres were planted, leaving some 800 or 1,000 acres of forest land on the different farms yet to be reduced, and upon which the work is already well advanced.

AREA CULTIVATED.

The area cultivated in 1894 on the different farms is estimated as follows:

Halifax farm, on Roanoke

1,350 acres.

Northampton farm, on Roanoke

2,150 acres.

Caledonia farm, on Roanoke

4,500 acres.

Castle Hayne farm, New Hanover Co

600 acres.

Aggregating 8,600 acres in all crops.

Upon this area about one thousand convicts were engaged in the work. There were used in the operations 226 mules and 37 horses.

Possibly 33 per cent. can be added to the capacity of these farms, but that is about the limit, except it be by the improvement of soil and the increase of meat-producing animals.

The result of the operations of each farm, as well as those of works other than farming, are exhibited by balance sheets appended herewith.

For the work and management of the central Penitentiary, I beg to refer to the report of the Warden, and the balance sheet of the Penitentiary, herewith appended.

THE SANITARY CONDITIONS.

It is especially gratifying to be able to report a considerable betterment of the sanitary condition of the different divisions and of the health of the population, and this notably in those places where there has been most suffering and loss from disease and mortality. The physicians say that the sickness of our people is mainly due to malaria. While it cannot be expected that this cause will ever be entirely removed, it is certain that great improvement has been made by the system of drainage already prosecuted to the extent of removing almost every lake and pool of stagnant water on the farms.

A further improvement may be, made, it is held by gentlemen of the medical profession, by a change of the supply of drinking water through deep-water wells or by cisterns. Some effort has been made in this direction by co-operation with the State Geological Board and otherwise, but so far without success. The effort should not be abandoned.

For the details of health, disease and mortality, I beg to refer to the report of the Chief Physician and Surgeon, Dr. J. W. McGee.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PENITENTIARY.

There probably never has been a period of two years during which the convicts have given less trouble. Some infractions of prison rules are always to be expected, and there have been some; but there has been no serious disorder, and no special difficulty in securing good conduct, orderly and efficient labor and safe control.

While a consistent effort has been made to remove unnecessary asperities of prison life, it has not been forgotten that it was duty, first, to keep the prisoner at all hazards; second, to keep the prisoner employed at useful labor; third, in obedience to the Constitution, Article XI, Section II, to make the Penitentiary as nearly self-supporting as possible.

As a rule, almost without exception, convict labor has been found well adapted and easy of control in the operations of farming, though at this business it is more expensive than at work within walls, on account of the greater number of employes required to guard and handle them.

RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES.

At the Central Penitentiary a religious service for the convicts is conducted by clergymen of the city four times every month on Sabbath afternoons. This is attended by

all the convicts, and they seem to be careful and serious participants.

A Sabbath School for the convicts is conducted every Sabbath afternoon the year round by a few self-denying gentlemen of the different churches in the city. This school has been maintained, it is learned, without interruption for about eighteen years, some of those now teaching in it having been with it during this entire period. It is believed that this work is not only helpful to the good order of the institution, but also influential to the moral improvement of individual prisoners.

At the various outlying camps the religious opportunities have been neither regular nor sufficient. There is occasional preaching by the regular ministry of the different churches, and Bibles are furnished at the expense of the Penitentiary for those who can read. Books of religious songs, and some other literature, are provided.

There ought to be a regular Chaplain to the Penitentiary, and one could with difficulty meet the requirements of the prison population, scattered as it is at present.

A REFORMATORY FOR JUVENILE CRIMINALS.

There are convicts in the Penitentiary who came here at the age of nine years. There are here now fifty-five under the age of sixteen. Under the present almost unavoidable arrangements these juveniles associate with the older and hardened criminals, and may be expected to grow worse instead of better by such contact.

Situated as the Penitentiary has been, engaged in a hard struggle for support, it has not been practicable to separate these boys and place them on a farm without ablebodied prisoners to supplement their labor. Many kinds of work they could not perform, and a farm for juveniles only would probably be an expensive charge. It seems greatly to be

desired that this class of young criminals should be separated from the others, and that some systematic effort be made for the reformation of these youths who alone give much promise of success in that way.

WHAT THE PENITENTIARY NEEDS FOR 1895 AND 1896.

We have raised large crops. We have increased the quantity of products to the utmost limit within the time. But we could not control the price of our products or prevent the loss in values. The decline in prices has reduced the value of our crops $30,000 at least. We have used $25,000 appropriated by the last General Assembly, and $25,000 only, in the last two years. This appropriation was expended mainly because of losses by floods in 1893, and to pay for ninety-six mules and other requisites for the equipment of our increased farming. With the exception of this $25,000 we have lived upon our own earnings, without another dollar of tax money, and are here at the end of 1894 with a debt of $14,188.71 now due. This is not a deficit, for our assets in surplus material, convertible into money at a reasonable valuation, together with our bills collectible, amount to $44,000. If our surplus stuffs, corn, cotton, forage, bricks, etc., could be converted into spot cash, and we could collect our bills at once, we could pay our debts and leave a balance to start us into the year 1895. But these stuffs, most of them, cannot be sold for cash now, except at a sacrifice; neither can our bills be all collected at once; and further, if our surplus were cash in hand it would suffice only for about three months' support.

The Penitentiary should earn in work other than farming two month's support from January to October, when another crop will mature. This leaves four months in which to live only by creating a debt.

The Penitentiary, on account of indebtedness now due, needs a special appropriation of $15,000, and in addition

a regular appropriation of $35,000 to carry it without debt to October, 1895. Then if a good crop has been made, and there is not another decline in the price of products, or other similar disaster, that crop ought to support the institution till October, 1896. But disaster may come, flood, fire, or decline in prices, and, therefore, there should be a contingent appropriation for 1896.

PENITENTIARY APPROPRIATIONS AND PAY ROLLS.

For the information of those concerned, I submit here tables of the appropriations and pay rolls of the Penitentiary for a series of years.

1883

Appropriation

$ 75,000 00

1884

Appropriation

75,000 00

1885

Appropriation

135,232 59

1886

Appropriation

121,900 00

1887

Appropriation

100,000 00

1888

Appropriation

100,000 00

1889

Appropriation

75,000 00

1890

Appropriation

75,000 00

1891

An average of 37,500 00 for the four years, 1889-1892

1892

1893

Appropriation

12,500 00

1894

Appropriation

12,500 00

1885

Pay Rolls

$ 50,617 85

1886

Pay Rolls

56,780 61

1887

Pay Rolls

65,201 00

1888

Pay Rolls

71,079 99

1889

Pay Rolls

66,088 08

1890

Pay Rolls

63,302 89

1891

Pay Rolls

61,335 85

1892

Pay Rolls

56,884 43

1893

Pay Rolls

51,337 83

1894

Pay Rolls

48,565 70

Appended you will find exhibits, statements and tables, giving information as to

division, the value of machinery, tools and fixtures has not been estimated, because this is practically the same from year to year, the wear and tear being counterbalanced by the additional plant necessarily provided from time to time.

In concluding this report, I desire to express my grateful appreciation of the assistance derived from the generous and wise counsel frequently given by His Excellency Governor Carr. I remember also with thanks the helpful and accommodating treatment accorded by the State Treasurer.

In your capacity as members of the Board of Directors, I could not have desired a fuller or more efficient co-operation than you have given me.

I do not forget that whatever of success has attended our efforts, very great credit is due to the faithful and efficient corps of officers and employes, who with rare exceptions have come up to the full measure of their duty.

WARDEN'S REPORT.

SIR--I have the honor to submit the following report as Warden for the year ending December 31, 1894:

The general conduct of the prisoners during the year has been good, and general quiet and good order have been maintained.

We have a great many young prisoners who might be reclaimed, if separated entirely from the more hardened and vicious criminals and confined in a well-conducted Reform School.

The operations here have been confined to the brickyard, shoe shop, machine shop, laundry and garden. We have made and burned about 1,400,000 brick, and have now on hand 1,500,000; we have, also, about 425,000 unburned. We have manufactured 4,328 pairs of shoes, enough for our whole prison population; we have, also, done a great deal in the repairing line. We have put up twenty-four two-horse wagons and twenty-five brick wheelbarrows for our own use. We have done, also, the general repairing. We have done the laundering for more than one hundred students of the A. and M. College, and for several private families of the city.

We have about ten acres in garden, worked by the old and decrepit, on which has been produced vegetables enough to supply the prison population for several months, and worth, at least, fifty dollars per acre.

I cannot conclude this report without acknowledging my sincere thanks for your uniform courtesy and kindness.

PHYSICIAN'S REPORT.

PENITENTIARY.

HON. A. LEAZAR, Superintendent State's Prison.

I have the honor to submit my annual report of the medical department of the Penitentiary, and farms under its management, for the year 1894.

There were 97 prisoners classed unsound when admitted into prison, and of this number the health of 23 was in such condition that it was necessary to place them in the hospital for treatment. There were, during the year, the following surgical operations, viz.: Extraction of ball, 1; perineal abscess, 1; scrotal fistula, 1; urethral stricture, 2; aspiration of chest, 3; incised wounds, 2.

The following table will exhibit the class and number of cases of sickness treated, and the result. You will notice that there were very few cases of acute disease treated, and that all the deaths, except three, were from chronic incurable troubles. There were 36 returned from the farms broken down by constitutional and malarial diseases; 8 of these still remain in the hospital, 9 died, and 19 were sent out for light duty on the yard and in the buildings.

HALIFAX FARM.

At Halifax farm the sanitary conditions have so markedly improved since its establishment several years ago that in the future we may confidently hope to see malarial diseases almost abolished from all the quarters on the river. The force here is made up of both male and female prisoners, many of them debilitated by disease. I append a table showing the number and class of diseases treated.

DISEASES.

Class of Diseases.

No. Cases.

Tonsilitis

5

Rheumatism

5

Catarrh

7

Diarrhoea

9

Catarrhal Fever

20

Intermittent Fever

76

La Grippe

1

Asthma

6

Consumption

2

Remittent Fever

2

Bright's Disease

2

Bronchitis

2

Debility

3

Fracture of Femor

1

Biliousness

2

Miscellaneous

9

Neuralgia

1

Pneumonia

2

Dropsy

1

Epileptic

1

Dysentery

4

Amenorrhoea

2

Metrorhagia

1

Abscess

3

Incised Wound

1

Contused Wound

1

Bone Felon

1

Furuncle

1

Fractured Rib

1

Overheat

1

Childbirth

1

DEATHS.

Name, Sex and Color.

Cause of Death.

Lewis Burton, colored male

Pneumonia.

M. Ratliff, colored male

Valvular Disease of Heart.

NORTHAMPTON FARM.

The reports from the quarters at Northampton farm have also shown improvement. These quarters, and those at Halifax, were under the medical direction of Dr. Gee from

their establishment until his death, in March, since which time they have had the supervision of Dr. G. H. West.

Please see table of diseases as reported.

DISEASES.

Class of Diseases.

No. Cases.

Abscess

10

Incised Wound

2

Colic

6

Boils

11

Tonsilitis

2

Vertigo

2

Catarrh

22

Chills

248

Remittent Fever

1

General Debility

1

Diarrhoea

19

Rheumatism

8

Scabies

1

Muscular Straining

5

Bronchitis

12

Neuralgia

5

Biliousness

27

Rupture

3

Phthisis

4

Cystitis

1

Congestion of Lungs

1

Dropsy

1

Sunstroke

1

DEATH.

Name.

Cause of Death.

William Goss

Phthisis.

DIKING FORCE.

Bradshaw's diking force, about the first of March, was moved away from Northampton farm. During the two months they were here 142 cases of sickness were reported; no deaths.

GREAT FALLS CANAL.

In June new quarters were established at the Great Falls Canal with a force of prisoners, most of whom were unaccustomed to the work required of them, and quite a severe epidemic of malarial, bronchial and intestinal troubles prevailed among them. Happily, this condition of affairs soon passed away. The appended table exhibits the class and number of cases treated.

DISEASES.

Class of Diseases.

No. Cases.

Chills

163

Dysentery

13

Abscess Palmar

7

Bilious

3

Torpid Liver

3

Incised Wound

1

Diarrhoea

35

Bronchitis

15

Neuralgia

4

Remittent Fever

3

Dropsy

1

CASTLE HAYNE.

At Castle Hayne malarial troubles have prevailed to a considerable extent, and also La Grippe. Dr. Loftin says that "owing to an epidemic of grippe with which the force at this place suffered in January, and an unprecedented malarial season in the months of August, September and October, the percentage of sickness has been very great throughout the year. But while the percentage of sickness has been large the mortality has been very small, having had but one death which could in any way be attributed to locality or occupation."

I append a table showing the cases, deaths, and cause of death as reported to me.

DISEASES.

Class of Diseases.

No. Cases.

LaGrippe

27

Pneumonia

1

Malarial

195

Accidents

5

Conjunctivitis

1

Ulcer

1

Consumption

1

Cardiac Disease

2

Boils

1

Bronchial Trouble

6

Surgical

11

Rheumatism

1

DEATHS.

CALEDONIA FARMS.

The Caledonia farms under the medical supervision of Dr. Furgerson have steadily improved in health conditions. The occupancy of the new quarters early in the year operated as a factor, as it always does, in causing quite a large sick list, and consequent large death roll.

The accompanying table will show the class of cases, and the cause of death as reported to me by Dr. Furgerson.

In the official visit which I made to the several quarters on the Roanoke during the month of June I found the health of the prisoners very good, a few only being in the hospitals. Sanitary affairs were carefully attended to. The quarters were neat and clean and well ventilated, special care being taken to prevent the accumulation of dust on and under the bunks. I was specially impressed by the air of tidiness and comfort of the hospitals, and the intelligent interest manifested by the convict stewards in keeping

them so. Since my connection with the Penitentiary, I have never seen hospitals and quarters so neatly kept.

The medical service by competent physicians, Drs. West and Furgerson, is faithfully and well rendered, and I believe everything possible is being done to preserve the health and lives of the prisoners.

I have met with only the kindest co-operation from the officers of the prison in the discharge of my duty as Penitentiary Physician, and from everyone connected with the hospital force the most faithful and considerate help.